Joss Paper Burning at a Taiwan Funeral — Types, Timing, and Folding Rituals

Paper burning is one of the most visible and least understood elements of a Taiwanese funeral. To outsiders, it can look like an undifferentiated bonfire of paper goods. To the family, every sheet has a specific recipient, purpose, and correct timing — and using the wrong type at the wrong moment is a genuine ritual error.

The Currency System of the Underworld

Taiwanese funeral tradition operates on the premise that the deceased needs financial resources in the afterlife — to pay spiritual tolls, settle karmic debts, bribe underworld wardens, and maintain a comfortable existence. The "currency" is paper money, and it comes in distinct denominations for different recipients:

Kuchen (Treasury Money): Bundles of coarse paper stamped with official seals. This is the bulk of what gets burned. It repays the spiritual loans the soul accrued during its lifetime — a concept from Buddhist-Taoist cosmology.

Da Yin (Great Silver): Larger paper sheets with a central silver foil square. Directed at ancestors and high-level spirits. Used for significant spiritual payments and displays of ancestral respect.

Xiao Yin (Small Silver): Smaller sheets with minimal silver foil. These are spiritual small change — tips for wandering spirits and minor underworld officials to ensure they don't obstruct the deceased's passage.

Wangsheng Qian (Rebirth Money): Square sheets printed with the Rebirth Mantra (wang sheng zhou) in a circular design. Specifically addressed to the deceased's soul to facilitate a smooth transition and favourable rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Lotus Paper: Sheets printed with lotus designs, often folded into three-dimensional lotus pedestals. The lotus represents purity and spiritual awakening — these serve as vehicles to carry the soul upward.

The Origami Lotus Tradition

Folding paper lotus flowers is one of the most communal and therapeutic activities during the mourning period. Family members, friends, and neighbours gather — often around the kitchen table or in the living room near the mourning altar — and fold hundreds of lotus blossoms from colourful spirit paper.

The process itself is meditative: repetitive hand movements, quiet conversation, shared memories of the deceased. For many families, the folding sessions become the emotional core of the mourning period — a way to contribute something tangible to the funeral while processing grief collectively.

The completed lotus flowers are either placed inside the casket before sealing or burned as offerings during the weekly zuo qi prayer services. The quantity depends on family tradition, budget, and the intended ritual; there is no single required number.

Zhizha: The Paper Model Industry

Beyond flat paper money, Taiwanese funerals may include elaborate three-dimensional paper models called zhizha (紙紮) — paper replicas of objects the deceased might need in the afterlife. Traditional zhizha include houses, clothing, and household items. Modern zhizha have expanded dramatically:

• Paper smartphones and tablets
• Paper luxury cars (Mercedes-Benz and BMW replicas are popular)
• Paper designer handbags
• Paper mansions with full interior furnishings
• Paper appliances and electronics

Taiwan has a thriving artisan zhizha industry, with dedicated workshops that create stunningly detailed paper replicas. Prices vary with the size and detail of the commissioned piece.

The zhizha question is one of the most common sources of family tension. Younger family members often find the practice excessive or wasteful; elder relatives may insist that skimping on zhizha signals disrespect for the deceased. There's no objectively correct answer — it depends on the family's traditions, budget, and the deceased's own expressed wishes.

When to Burn What

Timing matters. Different paper types are burned at different stages:

At the deathbed or immediately after: Jiao wei jin (foot-end money) is burned to light the soul's path as it begins its journey. This happens alongside the lighting of the Lit-Way Lamp.

During the encoffining ceremony: Wangsheng qian and lotus paper are burned as the body is formally placed in the casket.

At each zuo qi prayer service: Kuchen and silver paper are burned in quantity to sustain the soul during its weekly passage through underworld courts.

At the memorial and cremation day: Paper money, zhizha models, and folded lotus flowers may be burned according to the venue's arrangements. In many Taiwanese cities, paper offerings are collected and burned in designated municipal incinerators rather than an open brazier at the venue.

At annual observances: Smaller quantities of paper money are burned during Qingming (tomb sweeping), the Hungry Ghost Festival, and the winter solstice when the family visits the columbarium.

Safety and Environmental Considerations

Paper burning at scale produces significant smoke and fire risk. Most Taiwanese funeral venues have designated burning areas with metal braziers and fire safety equipment. For home burnings during the 49-day mourning period, use a metal container on a non-flammable surface, away from walls and vegetation.

Municipal authorities in Taipei and other major cities have increasingly encouraged "concentrated burning" at designated community furnaces rather than individual street-side burning, particularly during the Hungry Ghost Festival when the cumulative air quality impact is significant.

Understanding the Practice

Whether or not you personally share the underlying beliefs, participating in paper folding and respectfully attending the burning ceremonies shows the family that you honour their traditions. For non-Chinese attendees or interfaith family members, quiet presence is always welcome — you don't need to burn paper yourself if it conflicts with your own beliefs.

The Taiwan Funeral Planning Guide explains each paper type with visual descriptions and covers the timing protocol for the full 49-day mourning cycle, including which offerings go on the altar and which go to the fire.